Bubble-forming device



NV 10, 1942- J. K. LYON, JR

BUBBLE-FORMING DEVICE 3 Sheets-'Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 26. 1940 Nov. l0,l942. J, K. LYON, JR A 2,3,427

BUBBLE-FORMING DEVICE Filed Aug. 26,1940 s sheets-sheet 2 Y I JOHNLYQMJR.

IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEY.

Nov. l0, 1942. J, K, LYoN, JR 2,301,427

" yBUBBLE-FORMING DEVICE Filed Aug. 26. 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 JOHN K.LYON, JR.

. INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 10, 1942 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to game devices and pertains particularly to adevice adapted for successive production of bubbles and the discharge ofsuch bubbles upwardly into the air in position to be shot at in a mannercomparable to the release of birds in trap or skeet shooting.

One of the particular objects of the invention is to provide a completegame device packaged in a box-like structure, the integral parts ofwhich are adapted to serve as a support for the elements of the gamedevice when in use.

A= further object of the invention is to provide a game device which issmall and compact when packaged for carrying, and which may be assembledWith a minimum of effort into a complete game structure adapted to formand release into the air relatively large bubbles at the will of theoperator, in position to be shot at by the player.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel form ofbubble-producing cup with which a plurality of sucessive bubbles may beproduced,

the bubble cup being adapted to receive a given quantity ofbubble-forming solution (such as a soap solution) Vfor the formation ofeach bubble, whereby the .bubbles produced by the cup are substantiallyidentical as to size.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form ofvalve device which is used alternatively and successively for the supplyof air to such a bubble cup in the production of a given bubble and forthe discharge of a blast of air to a position adjacent the cup to causea dislodgement of the bubble from the cup `and the forcing of suchbubble upwardly into the atmosphere.

The bubble target game device of this invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, together with detail views of the essentialportions thereof, and referring thereto:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the device in assembled condition, readyfor use, using the automatic valve device for successive supply of airto the bubble cup for the formation of a bubble and supply of air to theexterior of the bubble cup for dislodgment of the bubble into playingposition; I

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail taken along line 2-2 in Fig. 1,illustrating the mode of assembling the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a View corresponding to Fig. 1, illustrating the device asassembled for use Without the automatic valve device, in which separateair supply ducts are provided for the supply of air to the exterior ofthe bubble cup for dislodgment of the bubble;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of a box structure which, when thedevice is fully assembled, is employed as a support member;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional detail of the improved form of bubble cup ofthe present invention; and

Fig. 6 is a partly broken-away detail view of the automatic valve devicereferred to in connection with the description of Fig. 1, providing forthe alternative and successive supply of air to the bubble-forming cupfor the purpose of producing a bubble and to the exterior of such cupfor the purpose of dislodging a formed bubble.

Referring to Figs. 1-4 of the drawings, the assembled device is shown ascomprising a base member I, a vertically extending support member 2, adiagonal knee brace I0 provided with a shelf portion 28, a bubbleforming member 4i) disposed above the shelf portion 2B, a container 42for supply of bubble forming liquid to the member 4i), and associatedair supply means such as the conduit 44.

Inasmuch as the structure is desirably formed so as to fold into acompact package, the base member I may be formed as a box lid, thevertical support member 2 may be formed as a box bottom, and thediagonal knee brace, the member and container 42 may be so proportionedas to fit within the box portions when dismantled. In assembling thedevice, the box lid is inverted and the nat surface 3 thereof is setupon a suitable supporting surface and becomes the base member I; thebox bottom is placed with its flat surface 4 extending vertically fromwithin the base member i and against one of the end walls 5 of the basemember. To rmly anchor the base and support members in this rel-ation,one end of the flat surface 4 of the member 2 is provided with spacedlongitudinally extending parallel slits 6 and 'I at positionsintermediate its width to provide a tab 8 (see Fig. 2) which is adaptedto engage the outside of the end wall 5 of the base member I.

The brace member I0 is adapted to support a portion of the bubble gameapparatus and to connect the horizontal base member I and verticalsupport member 2 as a knee brace. The member IB is shown in plan as aflat cardboard blank in Fig. 4 and in assembled relation in Figs. 1 and3.

Referring particularly to Fig. 4, the member lil is shown as a generallyrectangular member provided with tabs II and I2 at its ends which areadapted to be bent upwardly from the plane of to the bubble cup forformation of the bubble and the blank along dashed score lines indicatedat I3 and I4 and extend through slots l5 and I6 provided in the members4 and 3 respectively. The blank is further scored as at H and I8 atpositions parallel to and spaced from its side edges to form tabs l and26 which are raised to positions perpendicular to the face of the blankas shown in Fig. l to strengthen the bracing member.

The blank is further provided with an opening 2l located relatively nearone end and one side, such as near the tab 20, and is adapted to receiveand support a portion of the air supply apparatus, as will be describedmore fully hereinafter. A relatively larger opening 22 is providedsubstantially in the center of the blank i3 and is adapted to receive areceptacle such as a paper cup 23 to catch the excess bubble-formingliquid which drains from the apparatus during use.

The blank is either out or materiallyweakened along a line 24 to providea longitudinally extending tongue 25 containing the opening 22, which isadapted to be bent upwardly from the face of the blank along Vthe dashline 26 and thence back on itself along the dash line 2'! to provide ashelf portion 28 (containing the opening 22) and a depending braceportion 29.

The lower end of the brace portion 23 may be provided with laterallyextending wings 3l and 32 which are adapted for insertion through slits33 and 34 provided in the blank to secure theV parts of the member l inthe relation indicated in Fig. 1. The slits 33 and 34 preferably extendoutwardly for a shorter distance than the wings 3| and 32, and thesewings are provided with notches 35 and 36, whereby the outer portions ofthe wings are adapted to engage the base of the blank when the remainingportions of the wings are Vinserted through the slits 33 and 34. Y Thebubble-forming'pipe 40 is shown supported by a bubble-forming liquidsupply conduit 4l which is secured to a liquid supply container 42 whichis vadapted to t on the upper end wall 43 of the support member 2. Anair supply conduit 44, for example a flexible tube of rubber or othersuitable material provides communication between the bubble-forming pipeand operating valve means 41.

The air supply conduit 44, at a position intermediate its ends, is shownextending through spaced parallel slits 45u and 45h provided in sidewall 46 of the support member 2. The conduit is thus supported byinteraction between a strap 45e raised between the slits and theportions of the wall 46 outwardly of the slits.

Referring to Fig. 6, the valve means 41 is shown as comprising agenerally cylindrical vertically extending body member 48 provided witha vertically extending cylindrical bore 49 ccnnecting with an axiallyaligned lower bore 55 of somewhat lessdiameter. The lower end of thebore '50 is closed by a bottom wall 5| preferably provided with a smallbreather opening 5|a. An air inlet conduit 52 communicates with the bore50 and is adapted for connection to an .air supply as through the agencyof a flexible tube 53 whichmay be blown into by a player. Air outletconduits 54 and 55 are shown conimunicating with the bore 49 atlongitudinally spaced positions, the conduit 54 being connected to theair supply conduit 44 for supplying air to the bubble pipe and beinglocated below the conduit 55. The air outlet conduit 55 is provided witha nozzle member 56 in the form of a short length of exible tubing and isdirected toward the dot-dash arrow 66a.

the lower end of the bubble cup for the purpose of dislodging bubblesfrom the cup.

The valve means is shown located beneath the brace member l0 andadjacent the Wall 4. The flexible conduits 44 and 53 may extend throughopenings 51 and 58 in the wall 45 and support the valve means. Thenozzle 56 may extend through the opening 2| in the brace member I6 inwhich position it cooperates with the conduits 44 and 53 to hold thevalve means securely in position.

The valve means 4'! is provided with pressure responsive means which isshown as comprising a piston 6| adapted for longitudinal movement in thebore 45. The piston comprises an upper head portion 62 sealing the bore49 and a lower skirt portion 63 provided with ports 64 located below thehead 62. The piston 6l is movable in response to change in air pressurein the bore 49 below the head 62, between a first position in which theports 64 are aligned with the conduit 54 and the piston head 62 closesthe bore 49 between the conduits 54 and 55 and a second position inwhich the ports 64 are aligned with the conduit 55 and the skirt 63covers the opening into the conduit 54. The piston 6| is suitably biasedtoward its iirst position as by gravity and is adapted to rest in thisposition upon a shoulder 65 formed at the juncture of the bores 49 and'55.

Assuming that the apparatus has been assembled as described above andthat the container 52 has been charged with a quantity of bubbleformingsolution such as a soap solution, the apparatus is ready for use. Thegeneral theory of operation of the device in connection with forming thebubble and discharging it from the bubble forming member is comparableto that described in my copending application Serial No. 830,108, filedApril 17, 1940. The bubble is formed by a relatively small amount of airat low pressure and is discharged from the bubble-forming member by arelatively large jet of air directed upwardly about the bubble-formingcup. The air for both of these operations is supplied through theconduit '53. During the period in which the bubble is formed thepressure is insuiiicient to raise the piston 6l materially. As aconsequence air flows upwardly through the bore 50 and the skirt B3 andout through the ports 64 into the conduit 54 to the bubble cup 50, asindicated by the arrow 66.

After a formed bubble has reached a suicient diameter it may bedischarged from the bubble cup 46 by increasing the airl pressure inbore 49 as by blowing harder into the conduit 53. This increase inpressure raises the piston 6I to its second position, as shown indot-dash lines at 61a, where the skirt 63 closes the conduit 54 andprevents supply of air to the interior of the bubble, and where theports 64 open into the conduit 55 and allow air to pass from the conduit53 through the skirt 63 and out through the ports 64 into the conduit55, as shown by This air issuing from the nozzle 56 is directed upwardlyaround the outside of the bubble cup and dislodges the bubble therefrom.

By making the conduit 55 and nozzle 56 sufficiently large as compared tothe air inlet oondut y53, the upward motion of the piston will stop whenthe ports 64 are alined with the conduit 55. Obviously, a suitable stopmay be provided for arresting the upward movement of the piston ifdesired. Upon lowering of the pressure in the bore 49 below the pistonhead, the piston returns to its first position. y

Referring particularly to Fig. 5, the improved bubble-forming member 4l)according to my invention is shown as comprising a body portion providedwith a preferably slightly concave upper surface ll at which a bubble isformed during use, an air exhaust passage 'l2 communicating with theupper surface 'H as at 12a and extending interiorly of the body portion,an air inlet passage 13 extending from the exterior of the body portion10 into communication with the passage 72, a liquid inlet passage 14extending from the exterior of the body portion into communication withthe passage 12 at a position between the point 72o', and the juncture ofthe passages 12 and 'i3 which is adapted to receive the conduit 4I(Fig. 1) A venting passage 15 is further provided which preferablyextends from the lower edge of the passage 'i3 at the juncture thereofwith the passage l2 to a position at the exterior of the body portionld, and preferably in a generally downward direction.

The supply of liquid to the bubble-forming member is secured by gravityflow from the container 42 through the conduit 4l. The air inlet passage'i3 is connected to the air supply conduit lid as by providing anenlarged bore 'i6 at the outer end there-of adapted to receive a nipple'l1 to which the conduit 44 may be attached.

If no air is being forced through the conduit 44 and into the passage'i3 the bubble-forming liquid will drain downwardly into the space belowthe juncture of the conduits 'l2 and 'I4, and any air entrapped therebywill be forced into the nipple ll or downwardly through the ventingpassage l. This venting passage is made suiciently large that the liquidwill flow through the same and drip from the bottom of the body portion'I0 into the cup 23 until an operating pressure is applied in theconduit 44, while maintaining the space below the juncture of theconduits 'I2 and i4 substantially filled with liquid and without undulyiooding this liquid into the nipple TI. A portion of the liquid mayextend upwardly into the bore T2, dependent upon the relative sizes ofthe passages and the hydrostatic head from the supply of liquid in thecontainer d2.

Application of operating pressure to the conduit 44 as above describedwill force the accumulated liquid from the aforesaid space upwardlythrough the passage 'i2 and a bubble will be formed at the point '12awhen the air column reaches the upper surface of the body member. Thesizes of the respective passages and the size of the aforesaid space isso adjusted as to supply the correct quantity of bubble-forming liquidfor the production of a given size bubble, and the aforesaid spaceconstitutes, in eiect, a reservoir for such given quantity ofbubble-forming liquid. y

The supply of air to the bubble-forming member will also result in anyresidual liquid being biown downwardly through the passage 15, and asmall bubble may be formed at this position; this bubble subsequentlybreaks and the accumulated liquid falls into the cup 23. Uponinterruption of the supply of air into the conduit 44,

as when a formed bubble is dislodged from the upper surface of thebubble forming member, a new supply of bubble forming liquid willdescend through the conduit 4I and passage 14 to the aforesaid space,charging the same for the production of a new bubble.

' It should be appreciated that to a certain ex' tent the advantages ofmy invention may be realize-d without the use of a valve member such asthe member 4l. In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a form of my invention inwhich no valve member is used. In this gure the supporting structure isshown as comprising vertical and horizontal members and 8l formed fromthe bottom and top of a box like the members l and 2 and joined as showninFigs. 1 and 2. A bracing member 83 is also provided for bracing themembers 80 and 8l and for holding a drainage receiving cup 3d. rIhebracing member 83 `may be formed in the same way as the member IU Vshownin Figs. 1 and 4.

The apparatus further comprises a vbubbleforming member 85 located abovethe cup 84 and supported on the supporting structure in the same way asthe member 40in Fig. 1. An air supply conduit adapted for'connection toa supply of air under pressure leads from the member 85 and is supportedon the supporting structure at 87 in the same manner as the conduit 44of Fig. 1.

A second air supply conduit 8B is shown passing through an opening 89 inthe side wall of the member 80 and thence through an ,opening 90 in themember 83 to provide a discharge opening 9i to direct air upwardlyaround the outside of the member 85. The opening 90 is comparable to theopening 2| of Fig. 1 and the discharge opening 9| corresponds infunction to the nozzle 56 of Fig. 1.

This form of the apparatus may be operated by rst blowing into theconduit 86 to form the bubble and then blowing into the conduit 83 todislodge the bubble.

It will be appreciated that wherever the word air is used throughout thespecification and claims, any suitable gaseous fluid is contemplated.For example a suitable supply of oxygen or acetylene un-der pressure maybe used.

Other modifications of the construction will occur to those skilled inthe art and I do not choose to be limited to the specific embodimentsherein delineated, but rather to the scope of the subjoined claims.

`I claim: l. In a bubble target game apparatus, the combination whichcomprises: a bubble-forming member; a rst conduit for supplying air tosaid bubble-forming member; a second conduit for directing a stream ofair upwardly around the outside of said bubble-forming member; a thirdconduit for supplying air to said rst and second conduits; and valvemeans connecting said third conduit to said first and second conduits,said valve means comprising a member movable in response to an increasein yair pressure in said third conduit from a rst position admitting aflow of air from said third conduit to said first conduit whilepreventing a fiow of air from said third conduit to said second conduit,to a second position admitting the flow of air from said third conduitto said second conduit.

2. In a buh-ble target game apparatus, the combination which comprises:means defining a vertically extending cylindrical chamber; a rst conduitcommunicating with said chamber; a second conduit communicating withsaid chamber at a position above said rst conduit; a third conduitcommunicating with said chamber at a position above' said secondconduit; and piston means slidably mounted in said chamber and biaseddownwardly, said piston means being adapted to rest in a lower positionclosing said third conduit to prevent passage of air from said rst tosaid third conduit and opening said second conduit to permit passage ofair from said first to said second conduit under supply of air from saidrst conduit at one value of air pressure, and movable upwardly to araised position in response to an increase in air pressure over said onevalue to open said third conduitV and permit passage of air from saidfirst to said third conduit.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2, said piston means comprising animperforate head portion and a skirt portion provided with a portcommunicating with the chamber below said piston means, said portcommunicating with said second conduit when said piston means is in itslower position and communicating with said third conduit when saidpiston means is in its raised position.

4. In a bubble target game apparatus, a bubbleforming member comprising:a body member having an upper surface, said body member having aplurality of passages therein, one of said passages extending downwardlyfrom said upper surface and communicating with a second passage ofsmaller diameter extending downwardly through said body member andopening at the lower end thereof, a third one of said passagescommunicating with said first passage at a position above said secondpassage, and a fourth one of said passages communicating with saidsecond passage at a position below said third passage.

5. In a bubble target game apparatus, a bubbleforming member comprising:a body member having an upper surface, said body member having anexhaust passage extending downwardly from the central portion of saidupper surface, a liquid supply passage communicating with said firstpassage for supplying bubble-forming liquid to said member, a ventingpassage of less .diameter than said first passage and extending upwardlyfrom the lower end of said body member to meet said first passage toform a venting opening in said member, and a fourth passagecommunieating with said first and third passages at a position belowsaid second passage for supplying air to said member.

5. In a bubble target game apparatus, a combination which comprises: abubble-forming member having an upper surface, said bubble formingmember being provided with wall portions dening a plurality of passagestherein, one of said passages extending downwardly from said uppersurface to a position interiorly of said member, another of saidpassages extending transversely with respect to said first passage anddening a liquid inlet passage communicating with said iirst namedpassage, another of said passages adapted for communication with asource of air under pressure and extending interiorly of said memberinto communication with said rst named passage at a position below theposition of communication of said first and second named passages, and afourth passage communieating with said last named passage at the lowerportion thereof to .denne a venting passage, said first, second andthird named passages serving to define a liquid receptacle at the lowerend of said first named passage.

JOHN K. LYON, Ja.

